Jul 24, 2022
Do our beliefs affect how we perceive reality? Is it possible that we see what we want to see and ignore what doesn’t fit our existing views?
In this episode I start by drawing conclusions from a Yale study (link provided below). The study shows that even people who were excellent at maths, when given data on a subject about which they held an opinion opposite to the conclusion of the study, they drew the wrong mathematical conclusion.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2319992. Motivated Numeracy and Enlightened Self-Government, Yale Law School, 8 Sep 2013
I will talk about why we spend so much energy trying to prove we are right, and ignoring any data or facts that don't fit our beliefs. There are six steps that create this situation and at some point we might quietly admit to ourselves that confirmation bias is a reality in our life. This tendency has the potential of hurting others and destroying all our relationships, so it's a great idea to consider this possibility when we are pondering 'life'.
As Thomas Huxley is quoted saying,
'It is not who is right but what is right that is of importance’